Computer networks provide an interconnection of various components such as client and server host computer systems, data communications devices, data storage systems, peripheral devices, software applications and the like. A typical computer network owned by an organization such as a corporation often spans a large geographical area and a network management software application operating on a network management computer system or workstation is capable of remotely managing the components operating within the computer network. A network manager (i.e., a person) responsible for management of the network operates the network management software application to perform management tasks such as performance monitoring, network analysis and remote configuration and administration of the various components operating within the computer network.
Typical conventional network management software applications capable of remotely managing components within a network often utilize one or more network management protocols to communicate between the network management workstation and the remotely manageable components within the network. An example of a conventional network management protocol is the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). Conventional network management protocols such as SNMP rely on the operation of agent programs that perform (e.g., execute) on various remote components in the computer network such as host computer systems (e.g., servers), data communications devices (e.g., routers or switches) and data storage systems. The agents periodically collect management data concerning the operation of the components that they monitor. The agents use the network management protocol to periodically transfer the collection of management data over the network to the network management software application. This may also be done in response to certain management events or traps that occur within network components that the agents continuously monitor.
When the conventional network management software application receives management data from one or more agents operating within the network, the conventional network management software application copies the data to data structures representing the managed components in the network and presents this management data to the network manager, for example via a graphical user interface, to keep the network manager informed about the current operational status of components within the network that the agents are responsible for monitoring. In addition, conventional network management software applications allow the network manager to transfer management commands to the agents operating on the remote components within the network in order to remotely control and manage these components.
Conventional network management software applications and their associated management agent programs utilize a library of predefined data structures referred to collectively as a Management Information Base (MIB) in order to store management data associated with remotely manageable components. The MIB contains predefined data structures and parameter definitions for various types of remotely manageable components such as hosts, data communications switches and other common network components. When a manufacturer of a network component releases a new component for sale, the manufacturer typically indicates that the component is compatible with management parameters defined in a common MIB. As an example, if a manufacturer releases a new data communications switch that is remotely manageable via SNMP, the manufacturer of the switch may indicate that the switch is compatible with a standard MIB (e.g., MIB III) containing a series of management parameters and definitions associated with common functions performed during remote switch management such as parameters to turn switch ports on and off and to gather bandwidth statistics about switch ports.
When a network manager installs the new remotely manageable component (e.g., the switch) within the computer network, the network manager can configure the network management software application to indicate to that software application the presence of the new remotely manageable component within the network. During such configuration, the network manager can indicate to the network management software application that the new component is compatible with a standard MIB definition for components of a common type, such as switches. In this manner, the network management software application can create a data structure to store the management data received from an agent operating on the new remotely manageable component. To further this example, suppose the network included components such as a host computer system, a data communications device such as a switch and peripheral devices such as network attached printers. Respective agents may operate in conjunction with each of these network components to provide management data to the network management software application in conformance with component management data definitions within the common MIB. The MIB thus has default data definitions for a host computer system, a switch and a printer. Upon startup of the network management software application, this application instantiates data structures in memory of the network management computer system to represent the various manageable components such as the switch, the host computer system and the remote printers in order to store management data received from agents operating in those components of the computer network.